


Children's Guardians

by Merfilly



Category: Earth's Children - Jean M. Auel
Genre: Domestication, Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-10
Updated: 2012-12-10
Packaged: 2017-11-20 18:39:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/588461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A tale of a father who learned</p>
            </blockquote>





	Children's Guardians

Bectie was a strong, adventurous child, pushing the limits of both Frebec and Fralie in keeping up with her. Crozie tried, because neither Tasher nor Crisavec could be persuaded to keep her close when they had their own games and tasks for the lodge. Yet Crozie was elderly and her bones were hurting more each year.

Frebec worried. The daughter of his hearth had nearly died once, and now they had no Mut-blessed healer as Ayla had been.

It was in making that thought one day shortly after the thaw had given signs it was coming that Frebec realized he did have an option. Bectie had only been crawling, with some unsteady steps inside the lodge so far, and that gave him a little leeway. Tornec, Druwez, Danug, Latie, and Barzec were the hunters he spoke to to help him, after discussing his idea with Mamut, Tulie, and Talut. It was agreed that at least one wolf cub would be secured and trained.

After that, it was a matter of letting Latie scout for them, her ability to read animal sign something she was working hard to make her primary skill. Only once she was certain she had found a den with a bitch still suckling near the pack domain did the hunters move.

Mamut asked the Great Mother to guard the hunters seeking a guardian for their own children, and watched as they left to emulate what Ayla had done when she befriended Wolf.

`~`~`~`~`

In the end, there were scratches to be tended from scrabbling claws, and only a single wolf's death. Frebec had not one, but two cubs to rear and train. He let Latie tell the story, as she had been the bright one.

"Like the herds, they fear fire, so we carried smoky torches... they were all thin with winter hunger, Tulie... the pack tried to stand their ground, but the fire scared them, and we started to check the den, but the bitch was just coming out."

"How did she not escape?" Tronie asked, having helped make the meat mash for the cubs. 

"That's when we almost gave up," Latie admitted. "She had one of the two cubs in her mouth, but dropped him to lunge... and she faltered, because her leg was bent odd."

"Appeared to be a wrongly healed break," Druwez added to the story, making the older members smile; their youngest hunters were growing into strong adults.

"Mut wished you to know She approved of the taking of children," Mamut told them all, interpreting that sign.

"Latie saw it, and had her spear moving from the thrower before I could choose to hunt or not," Tornec admitted. "It was the right call, though. A mother, nor any animal, should suffer."

"A good hunt, and soon we will have good guardians for the little ones; our hunting ranks are thin enough that we ask the mothers to do so much," Talut concluded, smiling over at Frebec. "A good idea all around!"

The man, once considered so low-status he had nothing but himself to offer the daughter of a headwoman, merely shook his head. "Ayla taught us much, and I remember this."


End file.
